This document provides an overview of bioenergy in Denmark, including political objectives and the status of biogas. It discusses how biogas production from manure has increased and the goal for 50% of manure to be used for energy by 2020. New initiatives to support the biogas industry include guaranteed minimum electricity prices and funding for centralized biogas plants. Slurry separation combined with biogas is presented as a way to increase biomass and improve efficiency. The case of Morsø Bioenergy, a new plant using decentralized slurry separation, is described in detail.

1. Introduction to bioenergy in Denmark
Status and trends
Polish-Danish Bioenergy Meeting
October 7th October 2010, Gdansk

2. Content
Overview of bioenergy in Denmark
Political objectives for bioenergy and biogas
Status on biogas in Denmark
Biogas in combination with slurry separation
Case: Morso Bioenergy

3. Overview of bioenergy in Denmark
Total energy consumption
PJ
900
≈17
%
600
300
0
1980 '85 '90 '95 '00 '05 '07
Oil Natural gas Coal and sinders Renewable energy
Energistyrelsen, Energistatistik 2007

4. Sources of renewable energy in DK
PJ
140
120
100
80
Biomass
60 = 72%
40
20
0
1980 '85 '90 '95 '00 '05 '07
Wind Straw
Wood Biogas
Garbage, biodegr. Geothermal heat etc.
Energistyrelsen, Energistatistik 2007

5. Straw for energy
Production and utilization of straw in DK
7000
6000
41 %
Straw (mio. kg)
5000 But variable quantity!
4000 Left at the field
3000 Staples etc.
2000 Fodder
Energy
1000
0 26 %
Year
Danmarks Statistik, Statistikbanken, 2009

6. Energy crops in DK (2007)
Species Hectares Percent
Oil seed rape (non food) 78.344 2,26
Willow 1.669 0,06
Poplar etc. 67 0,003
Short rotation forestry 1.780 0,06
Miscanthus 60 0,002
Share of overall 2,39
agricultural area in DK
(2,721,000 hectares)
Direktoratet for Fødevareerhverv (DFFE), May 2007

7. Political objectives for renewable energy
EU goals for 2020 (compared to 1990 level) – “20-20-20”:
– 20% reduction in emission of greenhouse gasses
– 20% renewable energy
– 20% reduction in energy consumption
Danish goals in agreement February 2008:
– 20% renewable energy in 2011
– 2% reduction in energy consumption from 2006 to 2011
– 4% reduction in energy consumption from 2006 to 2020

8. 2009-initiative by Danish Government:
”Green Growth” with focus on bioenergy
Policial objective for manure to energy
2020: 50 % of manure utilised to energy: mainly biogas
– 2010: 6 % of manure utilised for energy
Long term goal: All manure utilised for energy
Why?
Biogas is one of the most cost effective ways of reducing green
house gas emissions
Environmental benefits: E.g. reduced loss of N to ground water
and surface waters and reallocation of P from surplus areas
A new business opportunity for Danish farmers and a
possibility of increased earnings

9. Green growth-initiatives (1)
Support for financing of centralised biogas plants
20% of investment costs
Municipality garanteed loans -up to 60% of investment costs
Support for financing organic biogas plants -also farm plants
20% of investment costs
Municipality garanteed loans -up to 60% of investment costs

10. Green growth-initiatives (2)
Garanteed minimum price for biogas produced electricity
2010: 0,102 EURO per kWh
A corresponding subsidy will be given when biogas is sold
directly for combined heat and power stations or upgraded to
the natural gas grid.
Finding locations for centralised plants
Municipalities are forced to reserve areas for biogas plants in
their future area development plans
Establishment of a Public ”biogas task force”
Are these initiatives sufficient to meet the 2020-objective?

11. Number of biogas plants in Danmark (2009)
Type of biogas plant Number of plants
Waste water treatment plants 61
Centralised biogas plants 22
Farm based biogas plants 60
Land fill plants 25
Plants built in connection to big 5
industrial companies
Total 175

12. Overview of Danish biogas plant suppliers

13. Slurry separation combined with biogas
In Denmark it is expected that:
Expansion will take place in big biogas plants
New biogas plants will be based on manure + plant biomass
– No more industrial waste products available
Farmbased slurry separation often part of new biogas projects
– Increases amount of available biomass
• reduces transportation of ”water”
• you can include biomass from farms far away from the plant
– Increases the TS% of biogas reactor (higher efficiency)

14. Case: Slurry separation in combination
with biogas

15. Examples of separators SWEA
Screw presses
SB Engineering

16. Rotating drum + screw press Examples
Samson
Bimatech Staring
Vredo
Vibration filter + screw press

17. Decanting centrifuges
Alfa Laval
Pierlisi
GEA Westfalia

18. Status of slurry separation in Denmark
Around 35 million tons of slurry per year
1 million tonnes of slurry separated per year
• Approx. 3 % of total slurry production
A growing interest for slurry separation
• In areas with intensive animal production
• In regions that drain off to vulnerable surface waters
• On large scale animal production farms

19. Slurry separation units (2007)

20. New centralised biogas plant Morsø Bioenergi (2009)

21. Case: Morsø Bioenergi
Background
Island with very high livestock density – mainly pigs
Surplus of nutrients from manure (N og P)
Vulnerable surface waters around Mors island (Limfjord)
Long distance to land available for manure application

22. Example: Morsø Bioenergi

23. The idea of Morsø bioenergi
Establishment of a biogas plant based on manure
No import of nutrient rich waste products
Decentralised slurry separation at farms far from biogas plant
– Fixed separators owned by farmers
– Mobil decanting centrifuge owned
Post-separation of digested biomass to up-concentrate N and P
in the solid fraction.
Drying and pelletizing the solid fraction
Export of ”fiber-pellets” out of the island

24. Morsø Bioenergi – biomass input
Biomass Amount per
year (tons)
Raw slurry from farms close to biogas plant 52.000
Solid fraction from decentralized separation 19.000
Other biomass 1.000
Total biomass input 72.000
Corresponding to dry matter from a total amount of slurry 242.000
For comparison:
Total slurry production of Mors: 800.000 tons/year

25. Morsø Bioenergi mobile separator

26. Morsø Bioenergi fixed installed separator
for digested biomass

27. Slurry separation as a way to increase
biomass basis for biogas production?
Challenges
What is the biogas yield from solid fraction?
– Big differences due to slurry type and separator
– Separation of old slurry?
– After separation there is still dry matter in liquid fraction
– Pre-treatment of solid fraction to increase yield
– N-inhibitation of reactor due to solid fraction?
Who shall pay the costs of separation?
– A need to develop cheaper separation systems
– Potential for development of in-house separation systems
Optimisation of logistics to reduce loss of N and C during
storage and transport of solid fraction

28. High-tech separation in Holland: Decanting
centrifuge, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis

29. High-tech separation in Holland (2008)
Dekanter Tørring
Tørstof Tørstof
Væske
Rensnings-
Væske Væske
anlæg
UF-anlæg RO-anlæg

30. Questions or comments?
Phone: +45 87 43 84 68
E-mail: tqf@agrotech.dk